[Apologetics] A split in the Anglican Church is inevitable, says bishop

[Bret Bellamy]

I'll believe it when I see it.  They said a split was "inevitable" after the 2003 fiasco of V.G. Robinson, but many of the Christians caved and kept trying to "reach across the aisles", though some were firmer.  I'd thought at the time, even as I was crossing the Tiber, that surely the Christians left would formally split from the ECUSA, that they'd formally declare it apostate and cut all relations with it.  Nada.  So when all these conservatives Anglicans talk about a split or whatever, I say to them, I'll believeit when you do it and mean it.

Bret

-----Original Message-----
>From: Art Kelly <arthurkelly at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Jun 19, 2006 11:41 PM
>To: Apologetics Group <apologetics at gathman.org>, Jim Murphy <jmurf80 at bellsouth.net>, Father Phillips <frphillips at atonementonline.com>, Father Pollard <faddah at stveronica.net>, Father Peffley <fpeffley at juno.com>
>Subject: [Apologetics] A split in the Anglican Church is inevitable, says bishop
>
>Anglicans must split, says bishop
> 
>A split in the Anglican Church is inevitable with
>divisions between liberal and conservative factions
>"irreconcilable", a senior bishop says. 
>The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali,
>told the Daily Telegraph there were "virtually two
>religions" in the Church. 
>
>His comments came as the US Episcopal Church chose a
>woman as its next leader - the first Anglican Church
>to do so. 
>
>The US Church has also controversially ordained the
>first openly gay bishop. 
>
>The appointment of Gene Robinson sparked fury from
>African Churches and other traditionalists. 
>
>The US Episcopal Church's governing general convention
>meeting in Ohio - at which Katharine Jefferts Schori
>was voted leader - is under pressure to "repent" of
>its decision to ordain him. 
>
>Traditionalists also want it to ban future openly gay
>bishops and to end the blessing of same-sex unions in
>church services. 
>
>'Two positions' 
>
>"Anglicans are used to fudging things sometimes but I
>think this is a matter of such seriousness that fudge
>won't do," Bishop Nazir-Ali told the Telegraph, in an
>interview while a guest at the convention. 
>
>"Sometimes you have to recognise that there are two
>irreconcilable positions and you have to choose
>between them. 
>
>"The right choice is in line with the Bible and the
>Church's teaching down the ages, not some new-fangled
>religion we have invented to respond to the 21st
>Century." 
>
>He said the US Church has become detached from its
>Anglican roots. 
>
>"Nobody wants a split but if you think you have
>virtually two religions in a single Church something
>has got to give sometime," he said. 
>
> My fear is that the Church of England has made a
>number of moves in the liberal, Protestant direction 
>Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali  
>
>A decision by its House of Bishops to back civil
>marriages for gay couples showed this, he said. 
>
>"In the House of Bishops on Friday, they were passing
>resolutions that affect the Anglican understanding of
>marriage at the deepest level without theological
>debate," he said. 
>
>"It is not only what was done but the way it was done.
>It was so serious that things like gay bishops are
>just an interesting footnote." 
>
>Bishop Nazir-Ali said he also had concerns over the
>liberal direction the Church of England was heading. 
>
>"My fear is that the Church of England has made a
>number of moves in the liberal, Protestant direction,"
>he said. 
>
>"That gives me concerns that the Bible will become
>less important and that the Church is moving away from
>its traditional Catholic order. 
>
>"If you move in that direction you become a kind of
>options Church, where you live by preferences." 
>
>
>Story from BBC NEWS:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/5093544.stm
>
>Published: 2006/06/19 06:50:55 GMT
>
>� BBC MMVI
>
>
>                           
>  ART KELLY, ATM-S
>  13524 Brightfield Lane
>  Herndon, Virginia 20171-3360
>  (703) 904-3763 home
>  (703) 396-6956 work
>  arthurkelly at yahoo.com
>  art.kelly at cox.net
>  ArtK135 at Netscape.net
>   
>   
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
>http://mail.yahoo.com 
>_______________________________________________
>Apologetics mailing list
>Apologetics at gathman.org
>http://bmsi.com/mailman/listinfo/apologetics